Real Madrid is set to face Borussia Dortmund in Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League match at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, Spain. All eyes are on Real’s star midfielder Jude Bellingham as he prepares to meet his former teammates amidst a nine-game scoring drought this season.
Bellingham, who had an impressive first season with Real Madrid in 2023-24, concluded with a remarkable tally of 23 goals and 13 assists across all competitions. However, this season has seen a stark contrast as he has yet to find the net and has contributed only two assists.
Despite the statistics, Real Madrid’s coach Carlo Ancelotti expressed unwavering support for the young midfielder. "We’re satisfied with his work, I’m very satisfied," Ancelotti stated at a press conference on Monday. "He works a lot, he’s always present, he competes, he fights, he sacrifices himself. It’s true he hasn’t scored the goals he scored last year, but the surprise isn’t this year; the surprise was last year, when he scored lots of goals which nobody expected and helped us a lot. The problem this year isn’t that we’re lacking Bellingham’s goals."
Ancelotti emphasized the team’s strength and depth in attack. "We’ve always scored goals, and we’ll always score, because we have talented players up front. For us, in this moment, the work he’s doing is more important than the goals he scored last year," he added.
The upcoming match holds significant emotional weight for Bellingham as he reunites with his former club. Fans and analysts alike are eager to see how the dynamic midfielder will perform against familiar faces.
As Real Madrid aims to secure a victory, Ancelotti’s confidence in his squad reflects the team’s determination to excel in this season’s Champions League. The match promises to be a thrilling encounter between two European giants.
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Ancelotti defends Bellingham ahead of Real's clash with Dortmund
cgtn.com
